Feet and beaks

Instructions
Use the cards to complete the chart to show how each bird's feet and beak help it to get its food. HINT: think about the food and where the bird gets it.
 
Name of bird Beak Feet Type of food
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
Use these pictures to look carefully at each bird.

Cards about beaks
  • long beak for probing
  • nostrils at the end of beak for smelling food
  • long beak for spearing prey
  • pointy beak for pearing prey
  • strong beak for opening cones to get seeds, digging for grubs in rotten wood
  • brush tongue for getting nectar from flowers
  • "whiskers" above beak for sensing flying insects
  • scoop shaped beak for scooping up food in water
  • flexible beak for digging under stones
Cards about feet
  • long toes for holding food and hanging from branches
  • perching feet for sitting on tree branches
  • perching feet for sitting up high and watching for prey
  • large webbed feet for swimming
  • strong legs for walking on forest floor
  • spread out feet for walking in soft sand
  • long legs for wading in water
Cards about food
  • nectar, seeds, and fruit of native trees, grubs in rotten wood, honeydew on beech trees
  • freshwater insects and freshwater snail in fast-flowing rivers
  • flying insects in bush areas
  • fish, small mammals and birds, insects
  • fish, frogs, tadpoles, insects and spiders
  • worms and insects found in the soil and leaf litter